Furthering democracy in Libya with information technology

Social media such as blogs, social networking sites and other web-based and mobile communication tools played a central and celebrated role in the 2011 uprisings that took place in the Arab world, facilitating the organization and coordination of popular resistance to dictatorial regimes in Libya, Tunisia and Egypt. The use of social media channels to popularize and concentrate resistance was made possible, in part, by the recent growth of the ICT sector in the region. While the lack of economic growth, job opportunities and political agency were fundamental driving forces behind the Arab revolutions (Joseph, 2012:157), ICT and social media were tools that helped to transform the deepseated discontent into a widespread social movement. This policy brief considers how the international donor community can support the development of the ICT sector to support democratization in Libya.